Bhanot, Verma remanded to CBI custody

New Delhi: Former top CWG Organising Committee officials, Lalit Bhanot and V K Verma, were on Thursday remanded to five-day CBI custody in connection with alleged irregularities in the Rs 107 crore deal with a Swiss firm.

The CBI said that both the accused, who are also close aides of former OC chief Suresh Kalmadi, abused their official position. They had awarded the contract to Switzerland-based firm Swiss Timing Ltd at exorbitant rates of approximately Rs 107 cr, thereby causing a huge loss to the government.

Bhanot, former Secretary-General of the OC, and Verma, ex-Director General of the OC, were arrested on Wednesday by the agency.

The agency remand copy said, "Accused Lalit Bhanot and V K Verma, during the relevant period, were among the functionary and key personnel in the OC and were deeply involved and instrumental in allotment of contract for Timing, Scoring and Result (TSR) System to Swiss Timing in a pre-planned and pre-mediated manner at an exorbitant rate."

CBI further maintained that the accused have remained "evasive and non-cooperative" and that they were not revealing the true facts and circumstances of the criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile opposing the plea for CBI custody, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing for Bhanot, said that his client had no role in awarding the contract to the Swiss firm.

He questioned the registration of the FIR on the basis of which Bhanot and Verma were arrested and said the same was "totally bogus" and based on untrue and incomplete facts.